Game Night: Rangers @ Senators (3/4)Rangers travel to the last-place Senators, looking to get back on the winning track!

The Rangers welcomed the returns of Marc Staal and Ruslan Fedotenko to the lineup yesterday.

New York Rangers @
Ottawa Senators

Friday, 7:30 p.m.

Scotiabank Place

Rangers Record: 33-29-4

Senators Record: 22-33-9

Tonight, Mar. 4, the Rangers travel to Ottawa to take on the
Senators. This is the Rangers’ third game of a span of five games in eight
days. They are currently on a three-game losing streak, extended in the loss
against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night. This most recent loss dropped the
Rangers into eighth place in the East, behind the Buffalo Sabres, who beat the
Rangers on Tuesday. The Rangers have not won a game since they beat the
Washington Capitals 6-0 on Feb. 25, and are definitely due for a win.

The Senators also played last night, beating the Atlanta
Thrashers. Though it was a solid victory, Ottawa still sits in dead-last in the
Eastern Conference, watching playoff hopes slip away. Every game is a must-win
right now for the Senators, if they hope to still be playing after the regular
season ends.

The Senators have been burdened by injuries this season,
including to captain Daniel Alfredsson and forwards Milan Michaelek and Peter
Regin.

The Rangers, too, suffer heartily from injuries. Captain
Chris Drury is out for the season with surgery, as is forward Alex Frolov. Also
in the ranks of the injured are forward Marian Gaborik and goaltender Martin
Biron. However, forward Ruslan Fedotenko and defenseman Marc Staal both made
their returns on Thursday night, with Staal getting right back into form and
logging over 21 minutes of ice-time. With these two players back, the Rangers
should be in a good place to start winning again.

With the injury to Marty Biron, expect to see Henrik
Lundqvist in net for most of the rest of the season, backed up by Connecticut
call-up Chad Johnson. For the Senators, look for Craig Anderson to continue his
sparkling tenure with Ottawa.